Unexpected Love
by Steve Jester
Summary: A coupling that is raely used starts to find love between eachother. Zero/Ikhny Currently PG, but will be PG-13 in later chapters.
1. Establishment

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Unexpected Romance  
Chapter 1: Establishment  
By: Steve Jester

Notes Disclaimers and bullshit: Ok, I return to the MK fandom with a very interesting fic, hope you like. I have yet to obtain any copyrights so I have no ownership in Megami Kouhosei. (Although that may change as I am writing a novel, but me owning Megami Kouhosei? Never!)

Zero walked around the corridors of GOA solemnly and alone. He did this once and a while, to think about life. The topic of tonight's stroll was love.

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Why can't I stop think about her? Zero asked himself. _I mean, there are a lot of girls here at GOA, why do I all of a sudden feel attracted to her? Every time she's even close to Hiead I want to protect her, I want to hold her and tell her it will be ok. I know that Kizna tells her that, but I want her to hear that from me. Ikhny deserves better than that slime ball. One time I thought I saw a bruise on her cheek, I knew Hiead gave it to her. She covered it up though, there was enough makeup on her face so no one noticed. No one, but me. Kizna didn't even notice until I told her, and she's supposed to be her best friend! She noticed that I pay a lot of attention to Ikhny. I told her it was nothing but she gave me that grin of hers, like she knew. I'm going to have to talk to someone, even Kizna at this point! I don't want to risk her telling Ikhny, but I think I have no choice; keeping this inside is starting to affect my performance._ Zero finally found himself back in front of his dormitory door. _I'll talk to Kizna in the morning, when I'm actually awake!_ He thought before heading inside and going to sleep.

The next morning the repairers woke up around 7:30, no classes being scheduled for the day. Ikhny was the first to get up. She looked around to see if anyone else was awake. Finding that everyone else was still asleep she head for the shower. _Ahh, that feels good._ She thought as the warm beads of water splashed onto her skin. She looked at her arm, another bruise was forming. _Why does Hiead have to be so cold? I think he does it to beat the love out of me. Does he actually think I love him? If he does he needs a few days in the infirmary. Ah well, I need to make sure no one sees this. Good thing my uniform covers my entire arm. Wait! There's no classes today! Do I have any long-sleeved T-shirts? Ah wait, there's one in my drawer. I wonder if Zero and Kizna are going to the relaxation room today? They seem to get along quite well. They say that they're just friends but I still can't help but be a little jealous. Kizna has the partner I dreamed of, nice, funny, good looking. I have Hiead. The most arrogant, abusive son of a bitch living on GOA. I just whish Zero would notice me more!_ Ikhny finished her shower and went back to get dressed. After a while the other girls started to wake up. Kizna was the first to wake up out of the rest of them. She looked over to Ikhny who was sliding a long-sleeved T-shirt over herself. Before the shirt fully covered Ikhny's body Kizna noticed a large bruise on her back. Ikhny turned around and saw Kizna, "Ah! Kizna! I didn't know you were awake!"

"Ikhny, let me get dressed," Kizna said sounding very annoyed, "Then you and I need to have a long chat."

Ikhny gulped, _Did she just see my back? Oh man!_ Kizna hurriedly got dressed in her T-shirt and shorts. "I'm sure you don't want Saki to hear this," Kizna said.

"If it's about my back I got that…"

"And what about the bruise on your cheek?" Kizna hissed, "Trust me Ikhny, you don't want anyone but you and me hearing some of the conversation you and I are about to have."

Ikhny sighed, "Ok, where to?"

"Relaxation room," Kizna said, "there's not a lot of people there at this time of day."

The two repairers sat under a tree in the Relaxation Room. Kizna looked over to her friend, a unhappy look spread over the cat-eared repairer. "Ikhny, who gave you the bruise?"

Ikhny sighed, she knew Kizna wasn't going to like what she was about to hear, "Hiead." Ikhny looked away from her peeved friend.

"Ikhny look at me," Kizna said making Ikhny look at her, "I thought you said you were going to stand up to…"

"An do you think it's that easy?!" Ikhny yelled, "It's easy for you to say that because you have a partner that actually listens to you! I have Hiead! Hiead's nothing like Zero! Zero would understand me!" Ikhny, having yelled herself horse, ran out of the Relaxation Room like a bat out of hell.

"Ikhny!" Kizna called after her friend with no avail. She decided to head back to the dorm to see if Saki was awake.

Zero and the other pilot candidates woke up around 8:00 and went for breakfast. As Zero sat down with his tray of food the girls minus Ikhny sat down at their table, "Hey, where's Ikhny?" Zero asked.

Kizna looked off into the distance, "I said something I shouldn't have."

Saki put her arm around the cat-eared repairer, "It's ok girl. If it was me or Wrecka or Tukasa we probably would have said something along those lines."

"What exactly did you say Kizna?" Clay asked politely, yet with the air of a trained psychologist.

Kizna sighed, "When I woke up this morning Ikhny was getting dressed. As she was putting on her shirt I noticed a huge bruise on her back. I took her to the Relaxation Room and asked her about it. Then she went off on me! Saying that Hiead would never listen like you would Zero. That you would understand."

Zero's eyes flared with anger, "Where's the bastard?" Zero said, "I ought to kill him!"

Clay pulled him back to his seat, "Zero, not on our day off!"

Yamagi watched the scene unfolding before him, and something clicked. "Hey Zero," he said very casually, "why you so concerned about Ikhny all of a sudden? She's not your repairer."

Zero's face turned a bit red but he recovered, "She's a friend of Kizna's, so she's my friend too."

Wrecka caught on, "You that you have no feelings for Ikhny what so ever?" Her face curled into a cute smile.

Zero fought to keep his blush under control, "Well, I have a little…"

"Rei 'Zero' Enna don't deny it!" Clay said, "When I woke this morning, you were moaning her name in your sleep!"

Wrecka smiled again, "Zero, I can read your facial expression like an open book. You're head over heels in love with her!"

Zero's blush was at it's peak, "Ok," he said, "I love her all right!"

Kizna threw her arms around her partner, "There, that feel better now that you got it off your chest?"

"Problem Kizna," Tukasa said, "he still has to tell Ikhny."

"If I were Zero I wouldn't worry about it," Roose said as he ate another bite of his breakfast, 

"Sound like Ikhny is in the same boat."

Clay nodded in agreement, "If she thinks that Zero would understand her predicament with Hiead better than Kizna, then she has something hidden under that veil of shyness."

Kizna nodded. Zero looked at the friends gathered, and noticed something, "Wait a second, didn't Hiead follow us down here?" He asked Clay.

"Yea, I wonder where Hiead is?" Clay said.

Zero got up, "I'm going to find Ikhny, talk her down."

"Good luck Romeo!" Yamagi called out as Zero left the table.

Ikhny sat in the observatory, staring at Zion. _It's beautiful, just like him._ She just looked at the celestial orb, until she heard a sound. She turned around tto see a figure cloaked in the darkness of the room, "Who's there?"

She got her answer as the was thrown against the cold glass. The glass was made so it wouldn't shatter but it wasn't heated at all; the full affect of the coldness of space chilling the fragile repairer's shoulders. "Someone saw you!" the cold voice belonging to Hiead hissed, "I've been asked by Hijikata if I've hurt you. I said that I haven't and you better stick to that…"

"Hiead let go of her!" a voice called in the distance. Hiead was immediately tackled to the ground by a blur of brown hair dressed in pants and a T-shirt. "So this is how you treat your repairer! Why do you want to hurt her? Is it because you think she's no good? Is because you think she's inferior?" Zero kept his cool and didn't hit Hiead, just stood over him. Ikhny watched in a stunned silence.

"Candidates!" a commanding voice boomed across the observatory. The Candidates, Hiead having to stand first, snapped to attention as Azuma Hijikata stood in front of them. "What went on here?"

Ikhny stepped forward, "Sir, I was sitting here looking at Zion…"

"Say anything Allecto and you're…"

"Candidate 87! I suggest you keep quiet!" Azuma said shutting the mouth of a pissed Hiead. "Now, Ikhny, as you saying."

"Sir, like I said, I was sitting here looking at Zion when I heard footsteps. I turned and asked who it was. Then I was shoved against the glass. It was Hiead. He told me that you asked if he was abusing me. Told me to say that I wasn't being abused. Then Zero came in and tackled Hiead off of me." Ikhny finished her statement and went back to the small line in front of Hijikata.

Azuma looked over the candidates assembled in front of him, "Is this true?" He asked generally. All the candidates nodded their head. "Ikhny, do you have any bruises caused by your partner, I need to know."

Ikhny stepped forward again, "Yes, but some I will not show…"

"You don't need to show any, I just need to know that thank you." Azuma walked over to Hiead, "Be lucky I'm not expelling you. 15 days solitary confinement, one month kitchen duty, and a formal, written apology to Ikhny. Ikhny, Zero, you're excused."

They didn't need to be told twice as the ran out of the observatory. "Ikhny," Zero said, "you ok?"

"I'm still a little cold," Ikhny said, "the glass…"

She was cut off as Zero wrapped his arms around the fragile repairer. "Better now?"

Ikhny sighed, "Yes." _I could get used to this._

I could get used to this. Zero thought. After some time passed Zero looked into the eyes of Ikhny. _I've got to tell her._ "Ikhny, are you going to the dance club tonight?"

Ikhny smiled, "Yea, Kizna told me about it."

"Well, Kizna told me that you like dancing so I was wondering…"

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Please say that I'm not dreaming! Is he asking me on a date? Ikhny thought.

"I was wondering if you would be my date?" Zero finished.

"Are you asking me for a date Zero?" Ikhny said a very small smile crept onto her face.

Zero gulped, "Yes." _There, I said it. Please say yes!_

"Yes!" she said hugging Zero with all of her might, "You don't know how long I've wanted to hear those words!

"Let him breathe Ikhny!" someone said from behind Zero. The new-found couple turned to see that all of the other candidates in the late eighty series except Hiead were watching. "I would like to have my partner back in one piece!"

After a few small chuckles the candidates left them alone, running for their lives before they got the full force of the fireball that they thought would be candidate 88. But it didn't come. Zero just looked into Ikhny's eyes, "I love you."

"I love you too," Ikhny said leaning up as the shared their first, and hopefully not last kiss.

AN: Well, that's it for this chapter, hope you like! I'll make another chapter later! Please Read and Review if you got this far!


	2. Date Preperations

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Unexpected Love  
Chapter 2: Date Preparations  
By: Steve Jester

Notes Disclaimers and Bullshit: Ok, I forgot to say this in the beginning, the cannon characters in this fic are 16, having gone through two years of training. Hiead got a lot nastier, Zero's craziness is more under control and Ikhny… well you'll see. (I'm saving that one) I don't own anything, and yea, I went fast. This fic isn't about _how_ they hooked up, it's how their relationship strengthens and loosens over the course of their last year of GOA (and maybe when their on GIS, as all 5 will make it to Goddess rank by the end.) Oh, and I will now let you know that this is the only fic that has Zero and Ikhny falling in love with each other! I did research! In my opinion, now that I look back to the series, there is more evidence pointing to a Zero/Ikhny than to Zero/Kizna. Well, enough of my rambling, let's get going!

Ikhny ran through the halls of GOA, her heart beating fast and her face bright and smiling. She had just confessed her love for the one person she was sure, other than Hiead, that wouldn't return her feeling. _Wow, I never knew! He really cares about me! He seems so honest about it._ Ikhny checked her watch, _Kizna and the girls would be lounging in the dorm right now. Maybe I should go surprise them._ And with that she ran to see what her friends were up to.

Zero walked down the halls of GOA towards the training hall. _Yamagi and Roose said they were heading to the training hall. Oh I can't wait to tell them! Clay must have convinced everyone to watch us. He probably thought it was "very interesting". Why did I say I'd pick her up at 7? That's an hour after dinner and I won't have time to wash up. Well, I have to talk to the guys at some point,_ he thought as he entered the training hall. "Hey Clay, watching Yamagi and Roose?"

"Yea they just started," the brainy candidate acknowledged.

Zero shook his head, "I don't know how you made Senior Candidate (AN: I know, in the manga Clay does NOT become a level 2 candidate, let alone a Senior Candidate, just follow along) without extra training. You don't have a fighting bone in your body."

"Yea, well I used to think that you didn't have a mature bone in you body, but today you proved me wrong."

"What?" Zero asked, "That I told Hiead off for abusing his repairer?"

"No Zero, for caring about someone other than yourself."

Zero looked at the bespectacled candidate with annoyance, "Just because I'm clueless at times doesn't mean I'm insensitive."

"I wonder why you and Ikhny hooked up so fast though?" Clay thought aloud.

"I'm not even totally sure," Zero said, "After the Hiead incident I asked her if she'd come to the club tonight and she asked if I was asking her for a date. I said the first thing that came to mind…"

" 'Mmmm… Pizza?' " Clay asked seemingly innocently.

"Clay!!!" Zero said as he attacked his friend.

"I was only kidding!!"

Meanwhile Ikhny entered her dorm to find the rest of the repairers sitting at a small table. The girls turned to face their shy friend, "So how was it?" Saki asked with a small smile.

Ikhny sat on her bed, "It was great!" she exclaimed, "I've never been so happy in my life!"

"Sounds like Ikhny found the missing link in her life," Wrecka said smiling from ear to ear, "And we thought it would never happen."

"Come again?" Ikhny asked.

"Well, at the beginning of last year we started to worry about you," Saki said, "You were too quite and never seemed to be happy."

"Then, all of a sudden at the beginning of this year you had another focus, Zero," Kizna said, "You don't know how many times I've woken up hearing you moan his name in your sleep."

"So it was that obvious?" Ikhny said.

"From what I hear Zero wasn't holding his feelings deep either," Tukasa said.

Ikhny's eyes lighted up, "Hey, I just remembered! Zero asked me to the club tonight!"

"You lucky girl!" Kizna said.

"Ok Girls! Plan time!" Wrecka said quieting everybody down, "Now we need to make sure that Ikhny will knock Zero to the floor when he sees her."

"And no offence Ikhny, but those glasses are the first things to go," Saki said.

"Unlike what you guys are thinking, I've been meaning to change my look for a while," Ikhny said, "But…"

"But not a drastic change right?" Kizna asked and Ikhny nodded, "Don't worry we're just getting you some new clothes and contacts."

"Alright," Saki said, "Here's the plan. Kizna and Wrecka take Ikhny up to the shopping center and go nuts. Be back before dinner. Tukasa and I will cover for you."

"Why come back before dinner?" Ikhny asked, "Zero's not picking me up until 7."

"Element of surprise!" Wrecka said, "Zero will be more surprised to see you dressed well after dinner than during."

"And if were going to get her contacts we've got to go!" Kizna said getting up.

"Right! C'mon Ikhny!" Wrecka said also getting up.

Ikhny smiled as she got up, "I'm going to like this."

Meanwhile Zero and the other remaining members of late eighty series were hanging around the training hall, watching the other candidates as they trained. "Candidate 91!" Zero shouted to the training floor, "You've got to attack more aggressively!"

"You're really liking this Senior Candidate bit aren't you?" Yamagi said.

"Yea, but there's something I like better.

"And that would be…" Clay said begging for Zero to elaborate.

"Two things, night clubs and Ikhny."

"Oh yea, Zero and his girlfriend…"

"Shut it Yamagi!" Zero said threatening to punch the purple haired wise guy.

"Hey Zero," Roose said, "Are the girls going to the club tonight?"

"Ugh… Roose you should know that!" Yamagi said, "You hang yourself around Wrecka enough!"

"I meant is Ikhny going to be there?" Roose said defensively.

"Yea," Zero said, "I'm picking her up at 7."

Clay looked at his watch, "And with that gentlemen, and I use that term loosely, I'm hungry and it's lunch time."

Meanwhile, Kizna and Wrecka stood outside a changing room at one of the clothing stores. They were waiting for Ikhny to come out wearing the third outfit that they were trying sky blue, skin tight shorts and a florescent pink, sleeveless, mid-cut top. "Come on Ikhny!" Wrecka said impatiently.

"Yea, the optometrist said they'd be ready at 1!" Kizna said.

"I'm coming!" Ikhny said as she opened the door.

Kizna looked at her friend in astonishment, "I knew that that top would be perfect!"

Wrecka's smile extended from ear to ear, "Yes, and the pants I picked out are great as well!"

"Do I look ok?" Ikhny asked looking herself over in the mirror.

"Girl, Zero's going to flip!" Wrecka said.

"Trust me, if Zero isn't drooling when he sees you, there's more wrong with him than I thought," Kizna said.

"Well, let me change so we can buy it," Ikhny said heading back into the changing room, "By the way, what time is it?"

Kizna checked her watch, "Noon."

After a few minutes Ikhny walked out of the changing room, clothes in hand, "Mind if we grab a quick bite?"

"Sure!" chorused the other two repairers grabbing their shopping and following Ikhny to the food court.

The girls set down their shopping and bought their food. Sitting down again they began eating. "You know," Ikhny started to say, "How can I know if he's truthful?"

"Hmm…" Kizna said.

"How do I know if he truly loves me?"

Kizna and Wrecka both face-faulted, "How can you say that?!" Wrecka said.

"Everything seemed kinda rushed…" Ikhny said.

"That doesn't mean he doesn't love you!" Kizna said, "It's just like him to go off with out planning! Don't worry about it unless it gets uncomfortable."

"Trust me girl, he loves you," Wrecka said, "Clay told us he moans your name in his sleep!"

Ikhny blushed, "Well, that settles it doesn't it?" she giggled.

"Yea, now the question is how do you truly feel?" Kizna said.

"Kizna…" Ikhny said with a touch of anger.

"Just playing!" Kizna said and all three laughed.

Meanwhile, Zero and the other pilot candidates were joined by Saki and Tukasa at lunch in the main mess hall. "Hey, where's Ikhny and the others?" Zero asked.

Saki smiled, "Getting ready for tonight, she has a big surprise planed."

"Well, that settles dope boy's question!" Yamagi said receiving a slap in the back of the head from Tukasa.

"He was asking us if Ikhny really loved him before you came in," Clay explained.

Saki almost smacked her partner but instead smacked Zero, "Now I know why Kizna calls you a baka!" she said, "You don't want to know how many times Kizna and I have waken up to the tune of 'Zero' coming from Ikhny!"

Zero blanked his face, "I figured it out when you said there was a surprise for tonight."

"Hey, don't worry," Saki said, "if she gets done even half of what she's planning, you'll flip!"

And at that exact moment in time, two people, Ikhny Allecto and Zero Enna, Ikhny eating lunch at a food court and Zero in the mess hall, thought _I can't wait until tonight._

AN: AH! It's done Chapter 2! Please review! Chapter 3 will be up soon! I hope!


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